October 7, 1888. 1 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
827 
order that they hare not to be touched uatil the spring or the others are 
finished. 
Bulbs about the size of a hen’s egg keep much better than larger ones, 
and we have just harvested a quantity that were grown on ground without 
manure. They are below the average in size, but capitally ripened, and 
we shall have no difficulty in preserving them until May. 
Store Cabbage —This i9 the term we apply to the young plants 
which have been left in the seed beds after planting-out those recommended 
for the main quarters a few weeks ago. Many are inclined to think that 
when they have placed out all that are required in autumn the remainder 
of the plants will be of no further service; but this is a mistake, as those 
which remain in the seed bed often prove the most useful. We have fre¬ 
quently seen those which were planted out suffer severely from the weather 
or from grubs, while those growing closely together in the seed bed remained 
uninjured, and it is ia cases of this kind that the reserved plants are most 
valuable. Then, again, vacant ground is sometimes not so plentiful in 
autumn as spring, and where there were not enough Cabbages planted in 
autumn another batch can be taken from the seed bed and planted early in 
the year.. Indeed, the reserved plants are always wanted for some reason 
or other in spring, and they should be well looked after. Now that the 
weather is moist slugs and snails are troublesome, and the whole of the 
plants should be dusted frequently with lime or soot. Where they are very 
plentiful a quantity of sawdust or rough ashes placed around each plant 
will generally prevent their doing much mischief. 
Storing Lettuce and Endive. —In many parts the weather is 
so severe in winter that if the Lettuce and Endive were left out they 
would be all killed before the winter was half over, and to prevent this 
the plants are generally lifted and placed in frames ; but this operation is 
frequently delayed until the first frost comes, then the leaves are injured 
by it, which causes them to partially decay, and they seldom keep 
well afterwards. It is much better to do this work early, and the present 
i® a time to attend to it. When plants which are about half grown 
now are lifted with g^od balls of soil, and planted in frames, they soon 
begin growing again, and make much better and more substantial plants 
by December than those lifted and replanted when almost full sized. If 
the plants are put into the frames at a distance of 6 inches or 8 inches 
apart, and 10 inches or 1 foot from row to row, they will form a close- 
grown mass of valuable produce for winter use, and the plants which are 
placed early will always be found to be the best. 
Forcing Dwarf Kidney Beans. —The autumn forcing of these is 
uphill work, but it can be done where there is plenty of heat in the houses 
or pits, and to have Beans in December and at Christmas the seed should 
be sown now. Ne Plus Ultra is the best variety for forcing. Sow the 
seed in 3-inch pots, place them in a temperature of 65° or so, and as soon 
as the plants are 6 inches high transfer them into 6-inch or 7-inch pots ; 
use a rough, rich mixture of soil and manure. Keep the plants well up 
to the light, and always in temperature from 65° to 75°, and they will 
grow well and prove very fruitful. 
Autumn-sown Onions. —These are growing fast, and are likely to 
be very forward before the cold weather sets in. When th ; s is the case 
they are always rather liable to suffer, and this should he avoided as much 
as possible. We find that plants grown in loose soil suffer more than 
those with their roots in firm material, and from now onwards we shall 
dust the young plants over with a little soot, and immediately afterwards 
trample the soil down firmly along each side of the rows with the feet; 
this makes the plants very firm in the ground, causes the roots to grow 
plentifully and close, and then severe weather does them little or no harm. 
The weeds which are springing up amongst them may be left by some to 
afford them protection, but they only cause the plants to draw up and 
make them tender, and the plants suffer more with weeds around them 
than they do without them. 
Cauliflower.— That always excellent variety, Veitch’s Autumn 
Giant, is now heading freely, and will continue to do so for the next six 
weeks or two months; but should frost come, as it may any time now, 
many of the heads may be spoiled, and it is a safe and good plan as soon 
as the heads are formed either to break a few of the largest leaves 
over them, or draw the whole of the leaves up over them and tie them 
at the top with a piece of matting or willow. When many heads 
are ready at the same time they m > be < ut, trimmed, and placed in a 
cool dark place with the end of the stem in damp sand or soil until 
wanted. They will keep good for three weeks in this way. 
Tomatoes in the Open. —These have now almost ceased growing 
and there will be no more fruit formed, but attention should be given 
to maturing that which exists. It will be observed that many of the 
fruits become dark and bruised at this seascD, and this is produced by the 
cold and damp, and spoils the fruit considerably, but if a glass light or 
some such protection can be placed against the wall and over the 
iomato plants the fruit will retain their qualities and ripen well; but, 
as in rnany other cases at this season, the protection should be given to 
prevent the fruit being injured, and not as a remedy for it. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Cherries.— It is not often we see a house of Cherries, but ripe 
Cherries in May are very valuable for dessert. The foreigners have 
tuf/W home-grown Cherries and Apricots, for the simple reason 
that the fruit can be purchased much cheaper than it can be grown. This 
is a fact that home growers should not lose sight of; it tells equally with 
gro *ers for private use as for sale. 4 3 
bottom Cl trr ! h ? uId be H S ht - wel1 ventilated both at top and 
bottom, and efficiently heated. Side lights are not necessary, but wooden 
ventilators should be provided to open the whole length of the house and 
on both sides of a span. The trees may be trained to a trellis fixed 
12 inches from the glass. A lean-to may be 10 to 12 feet, and a span 
15 to 18 feet wide with trees on each side, and in the lean-to the front trellis 
should only extend two-thirds up lhe roof and the upper part be kept 
4 feet from the glass, so as to admit light to the trees on the back wall. 
Two rows of 4-inch piping will be sufficient f ,r the lean-to and two rows 
on each side for the span, 3-inch for the 15 feet bouse and 4-inch for the 
18 to 24 feet wide house. The b rders should be wholly inside and not 
made all at once. A 4 to 6 feet width of border according to the size of 
the trees is sufficient to commence with. It should be drained 9 inches to 
a foot deep, having a drain to carry off superfluous water, and cover with 
a thin layer of turves grass side downwards. From 24 to 27 inches depth 
of soil is sufficient. Gmd turfy loam, neither light nor heavy, but prefer¬ 
ably heavy than light, four parts, lime rubbish from an old building one- 
fifth, and road scrapings one-sixth ; the turfy loam chopped moderately 
fine, the whole well incorporated with about a twentieth of half-inch or 
crushed bones. The trees may be planted as soon as the leaves begin 
falling. Those that have been trained to walls four or six years are most 
suitable, as they will be in a fruitful state and calculated to afford a 
moderate orop of fruit the first season, and having been lifted annually 
they can be moved with safety. The birders being firm and a few inches 
increased depth allowed for settling, plant at once, giving a good watering. 
The lights being moveable, take them off and mulch over the roots with a 
couple of inches thickness of short stable litbr. The most suitable 
varieties are Empress Eugenie, May Duke, and Black Tartarian. Early 
Rivers promises to be very valuable and should be tried. Governor Wood 
and Elton are excellent for succession. 
Cherries are readily forced in pots. Trees should be procured at once. 
If in pots, they must be given a larger size if they require it, disentangling 
the roots with a fork, and cutting back any straggling and thick ones. 
Provide good drainage and ram the soil firmly. Trees that are in as large 
pots as desired need only have the drainage rectffied and be surface-dressed, 
or the old drainage may be cleared away, a few inohes from the base 
removed, the roots shortened back, and fresh soil given ; fibrous loam, &c., 
as advised for the borders, with a fifth of well-decayed manure, removing 
also the loose surface soil and supply rich material. If the trees are not 
already in pots, pyramids or bushes should be lifted, have their roots 
trimmed, and be potted firmly, allowing them to become established in the 
pots before subjecting them to forcing. The trees should be placed on a 
hard bottom impervious to worms, and surrounded with ashes to the rim, 
covering the pots with litter upon the approach of frost. The trees 
should have a good watering after potting or having the roots interfered 
with. 
Vines. —Early Vines in Pots .—If bottom heat can be given they will 
break well. Provided there is a pit of 3 feet depth and 4 feet width or 
more, the pots may be raised upon loose bricks, pillar fashion, so that 
their rims are slightly higher than the pit edge, and so that the pots will 
have heat equally all around. Leaves being placed in to fill the pit, a 
gentle heat will be afforded the Vines, giving off moisture so favourable 
to a good break, and it will lessen the necessity for fire heat. The 
temperature about the pots ought not to exceed 70° to 75°. It will 
stimulate the roots into activity, and they will pas3 from the pots into the 
fermenting material, deriving support beneficial to the Vines. The top 
heat should be kept at 50° to 55° by artificial means until the eyes swell, 
then gradually increase it to 60° or 65° when they are breaking. The 
canes must be depressed to a horizontal position to secure their breaking 
regularly. Damp the canes morning and afternoon, but do not keep them 
constantly dripping with moisture. 
Early forced Vines .—Forcing operations being contemplated early in 
November, fermenting materials may be collected for placing in the 
houses after they have parted with the rank steam. The fermenting 
materials will aid in keeping up a regular and moist heat, and secure the 
free and more regular breaking of the Vines. Tree leaves, with a third 
of stable litter thrown into a heap, damped if dry, and turned over outside 
to inside when getting warm, again damped, and allowed to get warmed 
through, will be in suitable condition for placing in the house, forming 
into ridge-like beds on the border, turning over and adding fresh material 
as the heat declines. The materials need not be used until after the 
house has been closed a fortnight. The outside border should be well 
protected with leaves and litter, or preferably tarpaulin, shutters, or 
thatch, go as to throw off heavy rains and snow. 
Late Grapes .—These are mostly ripe now, but some may not be, and 
in that case the temperature must not be less than 65° to 70° at night, and 
70° to 758 by day, with a rise of 10° to 15? with sun until the Grapes are 
ripe, keeping the fires going until the wood is brown and hard. It is, 
however, a bad look out if the Grapes are so unripe when October sets in 
that a forcing temperature has to be maintained to secure the ripening of 
the fruit. The fruit being thoroughly ripe—and the Grapes will not keep 
satisfactory unless perfectly finished and the wood thoroughly matured— 
all spray or laterals may be removed down to the main buds, ventilating 
liberally on all favourable occasions. Fire heat will then only be 
necessary at night to prevent the temperature falling below 50°, and to 
insure ventilation in the daytime when the weather is favourable. In 
dull damp foggy weather the house should be kept close with a gentle 
warmth in the pipes. To prevent dust settling on the berries raking the 
borders or sweeping floors must not be practised, and damp must be ex¬ 
cluded. Mats or dry clean straw laid over the inside borders will to some 
extent prevent evaporation, assist in keeping the atmosphere dry, and 
prevent the soil cracking. The outside borders must, if the Grapes are 
to keep satisfactorily, be covered, wooded shutters being the best, tarpaulin 
